“Hum Saya” tells the story of three girls who are kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam in order to marry their captors. The director Dawood Murad wanted to underline the importance of solidarity among those who suffer the same marginalization. The director of the Center for Social Justice who produced the film said: “I hope it contributes to a positive change in the world.”
Lahore () – A Pakistani film on violence against religious minorities won the award for best short documentary on human rights at the Venice Intercultural Film Festival, which takes place every year between June and July at various venues in the city . It is “Hum Saya” (meaning “neighbor”), produced by the Center for Social Justice (CSJ), an organization involved for years in advancing democracy and social justice for marginalized groups in Pakistan. The film will be screened in various locations around the world, including Venice itself on June 23, and at Oxford University’s Kellogg College on June 16.
“Hum Saya” weaves together the true stories of three Pakistani girls kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam in order to marry their captors, and shows how for minority Christian and Hindu believers the constitutional right to religious freedom is constantly violated. The film also shows the ordeal of the girls’ families. Director Dawood Murad wanted to underline the importance of solidarity among those who suffer the same marginalization: the neighbors at home, those who live in the same neighborhood and in the same circumstances as the victims, who often provide the first line of protection for the girls. Lal Chand Malhi, a well-known former MP, also illustrates the systematic violations of minority rights, explaining that in Sindh and Punjab provinces young Christian and Hindu women are forced to limit their freedom of movement to protect themselves.
The CSJ reported 124 incidents of conversions and forced marriages in 2022. Of these, 59% of the cases were underage wives and in 28% of the cases the age was not reported. Violence against Christians, Hindus and Sikhs is not diminishing: as of May of this year, at least 39 cases of forced conversions have been reported.
“I am very happy and excited that the CSJ documentary has been recognized worldwide and I hope that this film will contribute to a positive change in the world, especially in Pakistan,” Peter Jacob, director of the humanitarian organization, told . “I am very grateful to everyone who contributed to the making of ‘Hum Saya’ and especially to the families of the victims, who agreed to speak with us about these issues and recorded their interviews and statements. They are truly brave people.
“Forced conversion in Pakistan – he continued – is a reality and with this video we have tried to show it to the whole world. We must continue to denounce these problems and all human rights violations in unison, and contribute to a positive change for the well-being of society.”
